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Chapter 15: Warmth

Allen's POV

After playing a few competitive rounds of cards, Allen refused Tyki's offer to join him in his bedroom, going to his own temporary room, instead. What am I doing getting close to a noah? I'm supposed to be finding a way to escape and lecturing them over their evil ways, not bonding with them! He stood in front of the standing white mirror in his room and sighed with frustration. Then again, am I even an exorcist, anymore?

The shadow in the mirror changed it's shape to look like Mana, when he was dressed as a clown. It danced behind him and smiled at him through the mirror, looking almost exactly like his Mana. The only difference was what was in his eyes; sinister intention.

"Don't imitate Mana", he lectured the shadow. But it continued to dance, even when the boy clenched his hands into fists and grit his teeth with anger. Disgusting. But I don't want a repeat of last time, it caused too much of a commotion. Instead, he went to bed fighting the urge to beat the mirror to a pulp. Of glass. Not that it would help anything. He's not IN the mirror...

He was surrounded by darkness and filled with fear as apocryphos came to him in an attempt to kill him. Allen couldn't move or call for help, only lay there as the preacher drove his feather-covered hand into his chest and ripped out his heart.

As the man before him ripped the heart through his rib cage, he went from being the preacher to being the shadow, then to being Nea, then to being Mana. And he continued to change until the boy's voice finally broke through and he screamed out in fear, pain, and despair.

It stopped at Mana and Mana stopped, holding the heart in his hand and staring at his adopted son with confusion and surprise written all over his face.

"Ma...na...?"

The surprise dropped from his face and an evil grin replaced it. It was so unlike Mana and didn't fit him. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Allen finally opened his mouth to speak and Mana cut him off by stepping aside.

Tyki stood right behind Mana, staring blankly and with that look of his - the one he made after receiving the boy's lecture, for the first time.

"Tyki", he asked.

But Tyki didn't respond. Instead, he dropped to the ground, laying in a puddle of blood he hadn't noticed, before. And as he looked down at the body, he realized that it wasn't his blood and, instead, Tyki's. The noah had feathers surrounding a hole in his stomach and blood was pouring out of it.

As more and more blood began to pour out, the ex-exorcist noticed something flowing along with it: the ruby necklace and the purple ribbon. They both poured out of his stomach, along with the river of blood.

And so he asked the only thing he could: "Why...?"

"Haven't you heard a thing I've told you?"

Allen's heart stopped and he looked at Mana, who was dancing just as gleefully as he was in the mirror, as if what he was saying was nothing.

"You must return to the battlefield, Allen Walker. Why waste your time with noah? The ones who killed me?"

Mana's death replayed in his mind over and over, until the boy finally cracked and fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

And, yet, Mana didn't stop the lecture. "It's all your fault", he echoed, throughout the darkness. "It's all your fault."

He woke up in a pool of sweat and grabbed his chest, making sure that he was absolutely alive and with his heart still in there. The dream was so weird yet it felt so real...

He jumped from the bed, grabbed the purple key, and flew out his bedroom door, not even bothering to close it behind him while still hoping it would close on it's own. He ran down the street and reached to unlock Tyki's door but stopped himself just before the key touched the keyhole. Maybe it was just a dream... how ridiculous of me to rush over here as though my own life depended on me being here. He's a noah - what does it matter if he dies?

He "tch"ed and turned on his heal, ready to march back to his room and go to sleep, but stopped mid-step, squeezing the key in his hand. But, still... He huffed out a frustrated sigh and turned back around, unlocking the door and opening it as slowly and quietly as physically possible.

The room was dark but moonlight was enough for him to maneuver freely and keep an eye on the sleeping noah. Tyki lay on his stomach, hugging the pillow to his cheek and seeming to be sleeping soundly. Good.

The boy took a long, silent breath and slowly crept over to the bed. Things were just dandy and he was 100% positive the noah hadn't woken. Until he looked over and found him propped up on an arm and smiling smugly.

"I'm glad you decided to join me, Shounen. Although, you're a little far away, don't you think? Aren't-"

Allen kicked him off the bed, yelled at him to shut up, and rolled over so his back was facing the noah, taking all of the blankets with him.

"Aww, now I'll be even more cold", he heard the noah whine.

"That's your fault", he mumbled, in response.

"I suppose", the noah chuckled, warmly. The sound even warmed the boy's heart. After receiving no response, the noah bent over and kissed the ex-exorcist on the temple. "Goodnight, Allen."

And, so, the boy felt him back away and lay down on his side of the bed, apparently willing to sleep without the blanket. But why? Without uttering a word or breathing a sigh, he gave the noah back enough of the blanket to sleep comfortably. In response, he only heard the noah's faint chuckle.